A FORMBY solicitor hired by a law firm described the “chaos” surrounding the company as its owner faced accusations of sexual discrimination.

Ravenmeols Lane lawyer James Parry was in charge of finance and human resources alongside his job as a criminal advocate at Wirral-based Nadim Associates in 2008 and 2009.

He was called to an employment tribunal in Liverpool last week to talk about his role as solicitor Kate Welch and colleague Jenny Conroy challenged their dismissal from the firm by former British merchant mariner Captain Ibrahim Nadim.

Mr Parry, the firm’s former second-in-command, said: “The business was being run in a state where most of my time was taken up with what I would describe as firefighting.”

Nadim Associates was founded by former Egyptian Navy sailor Captain Nadim, who is accused of making a string of sexist comments, including saying there were too many women in his employ, implying women shouldn’t drive big cars and making suggestive comments.

Mr Parry said he found some of Capt Nadim’s comments and behaviour “bizarre”, particularly in relation to one of his accounts managers, Victoria Kean.

She told Capt Nadim she had a suspected ectopic pregnancy, a potentially life-threatening condition when an embryo implants itself in the fallopian tube rather than the womb.

The tribunal heard Capt Nadim spoke to his wife, a clerk on a gynaecological ward, who said Ms Kean couldn’t be pregnant because of a pre-existing medical condition she had told the Captain about in confidence. He denies any sexist treatment of staff.

Mr Parry, who is no longer with Nadim Associates, said Capt Nadim “took unilateral action” to dismiss Ms Kean.

He said: “I was aware of a purge of employees. I believe he was targeting the female employees that I had introduced.”